And So They Ate Cake
by Duklyon Rose
Summary: This is the story of how Toph and Zuko ended up in the most uncomfortable marriage imaginable. Toko/TophOC/Tokka
1. Prologue

And So They Ate Cake

Prologue

* * *

><p>"Did we do the right thing?"<p>

Zuko, the Fire Lord, a man of twenty years, a hero to his nation and the world, turned his head to the sixteen-year-old woman – no, sixteen-year-old girl whom he shared his bed with for assurance. There was anxiety in his eyes, but she couldn't see it. She couldn't see anything.

"It's for the good of both of our countries. The people need to see the two largest and most powerful nations united in order to feel secure. I admit that I still do not fully understand why it had to be me from my side, but it's for the peace we fought so hard for four years ago," the minty eyed girl responded eloquently, demonstrating her noble upbringing.

Zuko chewed his bottom lip and let a small sigh escape from his nose. "No, what I mean is," he hesitated, "forget about the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom for a moment." The girl, Toph, jerked her head to face him with a scowl. Her gaze, though sightless, was piercing. Still, she let him finish.

"Just think about you and I. Did we do the right thing for ourselves?" He no longer seemed to be talking to her, just merely pondering to himself out loud.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I was going to make a really long one-shot, but it's becoming ridiculously long. Here's the first bit. Don't ask about the title, I'll explain it in much, much, much later chapters if needed. Add to your alerts if you like, otherwise just keep your eyes peeled.


	2. Before: Chapter 1

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 1

* * *

><p>After the defeat of the Phoenix King, Toph was convinced to go back home to her parents. It was a mistake at first, for she was trapped in a wooden room where she spent many days crying and screaming. She was angry at her parents and angry at her friends for not coming to save her. She was scared that she was becoming truly blind and her blood itched in her veins to bend the elements of the earth.<p>

Her parents tried to get her to listen to what they had to say, but she felt betrayed by them and found herself going crazy. She almost resembled the former Fire Lord Azula at the end of her reign. Fortunately, the Bei Fong's sought out one person that she would listen to and had him come and reason with her.

Iroh was frank when he spoke with her, as frank as one who only spoke in ambiguous metaphors could be. He told her it was time to grow up and that her presence would be necessary in the political world soon. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from someone she trusted so dearly. Yet, her doubts were put to rest when he slipped her a coin right before he left. She used the small amount of metal in the coin later that night to escape her wooden prison in Gaoling to Ba Sing Se, where she tracked Iroh down in the Jasmine Dragon.

Being an honest man, Iroh contacted Lao and Poppy Bei Fong about their daughter's whereabouts. They reluctantly left her in Iroh's care, praying that he could turn her into what she needed to become in order to fulfill the destiny they chose for her. He made it clear to them though that he was not doing this for them, but he was doing it for the happiness and success of a little girl who made him think that if he had ever had a daughter, she'd be just like her.

In less than a year, Toph had mastered the feminine arts of tea ceremonies, flower arranging, and music appreciation under Iroh's tutelage. She had blossomed into a legendary beauty at such a young age that many young men were not shy in coming by the shop just to tell her so. She was as confident in her looks as she was in her earthbending skills, and she could wield both on deadly levels. Of course, Iroh taught her many lessons in humility and mystery, which only added to her appeal.

On her fourteenth birthday, Lao and Poppy journeyed to Ba Sing Se to see the transformation themselves. They were amazed that their daughter, although still peeved with them, graciously welcomed them to her new home city. Poppy showered Iroh with praise, who accepted it with infectious laughter despite being wary of their intentions still. Lao was so impressed that he announced that he would finally introduce his daughter into high society.

"It would be an honor, father," she responded pleasantly, yet with absolutely no affection in her voice whatsoever. Her parents didn't notice her cold tone though, they were too busy in rejoicing that they finally had the perfect daughter they had always dreamed of. Little did they know that Iroh and Toph had planned to cease their rejoicing long ago.

Toph attended many ritzy parties all around the Earth Kingdom. She was a hit from the start. Everyone easily fell under her charm, and those who didn't were simply envious of her wealth and talent. The new Earth King even chastised Lao in good nature for not introducing her earlier, having no idea that she was the Avatar's earthbending master and a hero of the war against the Fire Nation. Without even having to try, which could quite possibly be the reason why, she had become a favorite with the Earth King and the number one candidate to become the bride of his seventeen-year-old son, Prince Fai. Needless to say, Lao and Poppy were ecstatic.

The blind girl couldn't care less, for she knew that even though she had matured, some things never change. To her, it was not her destiny to become some crown prince's porcelain doll of a wife. While she practiced playing a variety of stringed instruments and could perform a tea ceremony without a sound or a drip, they still took a backseat to the one thing she was born to do.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I'm having a hard time deciding where to break up this story. The original document is so long and this bit was too short. Oh well.


	3. Before: Chapter 2

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 2

* * *

><p>8 months after her debut into society, Earth Rumble rose from the underground and became a legal, public event. Thousands of spectators from all nations came to witness what they thought to be the first earthbending arena-style battles. Those familiar with the illegal, underground Earth Rumble were annoyed with those who didn't know names like The Boulder or Hippo, and many sighed in sadness when they didn't see The Blind Bandit on the list of competitors.<p>

Toph and her parents had been invited to sit with the Earth King in the VIP section for the tournament. Her parents were nervous to let her go, but surprisingly she had told them she did not wish too attend. Instead, she told them that it was her greatest desire to help out Iroh at the Jasmine Dragon knowing that the famous tea shop would be hectic with all the tourists coming to the city. This was a lie of course, the Jasmine Dragon was closed for the day, unbeknownst to Lao and his wife.

The Earth King and Prince Fai were disappointed that the lovely Miss Bei Fong couldn't make it, but any bitter feelings were washed away when the fights began. Little did they know, their dear Miss Bei Fong was at the tournament in the participants' chambers under the name "Steel Lotus." The other competitors eyed her warily due to her delicate-looking stature and the fact that she sported an eerie metal helmet. However, most of them knew better than to judge by appearance, being victims of the former Blind Bandit's power. Still, there were some naive newbies who dared to heckle her. Of course, she pummeled their asses into the ground without batting a blind eye before the tournament even began.

Steel Lotus wasn't given a real challenge until her final match. Her opponent, a man under the name of "Tien" wasn't some showy professional fighter like the majority of the men. He had been observing Steel Lotus and managed to figure out that she relied heavily on her feet. His attacks focused on her weak point and even managed to knock her on her hands and knees. At this point, Steel Lotus knew that she would have to step up her game. She could sense the framework of the battle ring underneath her and unleashed her secret weapon and the reason behind her name. Metal support rods suddenly sprung up from the ground and snaked their way around Tien's feet and legs, leaving him completely immobile and forcing him to surrender.

The crowd was silent. They weren't sure if what they saw was real or not. The announcer finally stepped into the ring after regaining his composure. "Well there you have it folks! The winner of the first public Earth Rumble championship, Steel Lotus, the metalbending warrior! Now for tradition's sake, is there anyone out there who would like to challenge our champion?"

The audience murmured amongst themselves, wondering who was stupid enough to take on a being that could bend metal. "I'll do it," came a confident voice. Everyone turned their attentions to the VIP section and their jaws fell slack in shock to see who dared to challenge the hooded beast that stood in the ring. "I wish to fight Steel Lotus," the man confirmed.

Eyes widened as the spectators watched Fire Lord Zuko shed his heavy formal robes and jump down from his spot in the VIP section and into the ring. The announcer was at a loss for words, he simply backed away and let the two fighters face-off.

"I hope being the Fire Lord hasn't gone to your head. Let's see if you've been practicing, Sparky."

The crowd gasped at Steel Lotus's casual speech towards to the Fire Lord.

Zuko smirked in response. "I knew it was you," he said right before he lunged at her and pulled out his twin swords.

She didn't move an inch and let him slice up the helmet covering her face. The entire arena was silent as the pieces of the helmet could be heard clanking as they made contact with the ground. Small cuts started to lightly bleed on her cheeks and her raven hair tumbled down to her back as she turned around to face him directly. The royal man frowned at what he saw. It wasn't her, or at least it wasn't the snot-nosed kid he knew from two years before. Instead, there stood a polished young woman with elegant features seemingly disguised as an earthbender.

"Toph?" Zuko spoke apprehensively. Lao and Poppy's faces blanched from the seats next to the Earth King, who stood from his seat and leaned over the balcony so he was able to sense what was going on better.

"Nice to see you too, Sparky, if I could see that is," the girl joked with her usual cheeky grin.

A sudden yell came from the stands, "It's her! It's The Blind Bandit!" Chatter broke out in the audience, which gradually turned into cheers and roars from the crowd in appreciation. Toph wasn't phased by all the attention, in fact, she decided to cause an even bigger commotion by trotting up to the Fire Lord and wrapping her arms around his waist. He returned the gesture which made for a huge stir amongst the people watching.

"Missed you," she mumbled into his chest.

"Miss you too, we all did," he replied. "You're getting blood on my robes. Are we gonna fight or what?"

"Fight," she stated right as she stomped her left heel into the ground causing Zuko to go into a flying back hand-spring.

The fight was intense. Lao was on his feet screaming for the fight to stop, until the Earth King silenced him while Poppy sat quietly in her seat and with her hands covering her face. In the end, Toph was hunched over, panting and sweating with her clothes burned and torn non-scandalously in a few spots. Zuko was breathing just as heavily and had been cocooned in rock with metal rods constricting the earth coffin.

Despite her ragged appearance and the exhaustion she felt, she was elated beyond belief. It was as if a hole in her heart, one that she hadn't even known to exist, had been filled in. Her lips managed to pull into a crooked smile as she straightened her back a bit.

The announcer ran back into the arena once it was safe and lifted Toph's arm into the air. "Can you believe it? This has been an amazing conclusion to the first public Earth Rumble Championship! We couldn't have asked for any more excitement with watching metal bend at the will of The Blind Bandit, excuse me, Steel Lotus and a battle with the Fire Lord himself!"

Toph released the earth prison hold on Zuko, who smiled at her and shook his head. "Ah, I have shamed the Fire Nation," he stated in good nature, although his pride was a bit hurt. Still, it was Toph whom he lost to, just being able to stand on the same ground as her for more than ten seconds was an accomplishment.

"You put up quite a fight, you might have had a chance to defeat me if you weren't holding back for the first few minutes there," she called him out.

He blushed slightly and stumbled on his words, "Eh – Wh – How did you-?"

She cut him off with an all-knowing grin that made him choke back his words.

Meanwhile in the VIP stands, Lao was trying to smooth things over with the Earth King. "Your Highness, my daughter, she-"

The Earth King held up a hand to prevent Lao from speaking an further. "Your daughter," he started in a serious tone, "she is the pride of the Earth Kingdom."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I suck at describing fights, so I didn't. Everyone, say bye to Zuko for a little bit.


	4. Before: Chapter 3

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 3

**Important****: **_Okay, so I failed hard. For some reason, I had it in my head that the Earth King in the series stepped down from the throne and decided to live a peaceful life with the "Love Cave Hippies." I learned this to be very untrue thanks to Avatar Wikia. However, sine I've written so much, King Kuei and Bosco are now hippies and a new, less easily fooled man has been appointed to the throne. I apologize and I promise to do my research from now on._

* * *

><p>Toph was later scolded by her parents for her unladylike behavior. Despite her praise from the King, they still did not approve of her bending and worried that her display of power and friendship with Zuko could ruin her chances of marrying Prince Fai. They became even more concerned when the Earth King appointed her the position of Secretary General of the Militia. Lao and Poppy weren't the only concerned ones, the King's decision had angered many politicians and generals that firmly believed that such a high position shouldn't be held by a little girl, and they were correct in some sense. Just because Toph was the strongest didn't necessarily mean she was fit to control the entire military of the Earth Kingdom, even she recognized this. Still, no one dared to speak out against the King or the metalbending monster.<p>

One person was excited about Toph's new position though. Prince Fai, reserved, calm, and intelligent, used this opportunity to really talk to her. Everyone knew she was the King's favorite to become Crown Princess, but Fai himself never had a chance to hold a conversation with her. He, like any other young man, was quite taken with her appearance, but he found himself completely captivated when he watched her fight.

"I really don't understand why I'm in the position I'm in. It's a lot of paperwork for someone who can't read or write," Toph mused after a meeting.

"I could teach you," Prince Fai offered kindly.

She frowned slightly, not even her parents could find somebody to teach a blind girl how to read and write. However, she sensed his genuine tone which piqued her interest. "How so?"

"You see through earthen elements, right? Well before scrolls and tomes, there were clay tablets. I think we could figure something out with that basis," he reasoned. "Of course, I guess it would be easier if I were an earthbender as well."

Toph frowned again. "You're not?"

"Unfortunately, a priest concluded that I hadn't been blessed with the skill to earthbend a long time ago," he said with a smile, as if he could hide his disappointment and longing from her.

The young Secretary General bit her bottom lip and then suddenly grabbed the Prince's wrist. She started running while dragging the older teen behind her.

"Honorable Bei Fong!" He exclaimed in shock. Toph kept on running and pulling though. She lead him out into the royal gardens where she finally slowed down. "Honorable Bei Fong," he said again, slightly panting.

"Don't call me that," she slightly snapped, ignoring the manners that had been drilled into her for the past three years. "There's no need for that title, Toph is fine."

"Lady Toph," he began, but read the displeasure on her face. "Miss Bei Fong?" He tried again, she still wasn't happy. "I'm sorry, I've never addressed anyone by their given name alone before," he confessed with a sigh.

"Fai," she said in the plainest, most casual manner. She felt his heart skip a beat. She gave him a wide smirk, making him feel even more uncomfortable and she soaked it all up. It had been quite some time since she had picked on someone in good nature. "Relax, and be thankful that I haven't come up with a nickname for you, yet." She heard him release his breath and thought that despite his kind-nature, he was surprisingly stubborn.

"Hold out your hand," she ordered, which he obeyed although hesitant. She summoned a stone into her own hand and placed it in Fai's palm. Her hand remained on top of the stone with her fingertips brushing against his wrist, making him uneasy about the seemingly intimate contact. "Think 'move,'" she told him.

"Lady Toph, I fail to see why you're doing this."

"Think 'move.'"

"If you think I'm an earthbender, you're mistaken."

"Think 'move' dammit!" Toph growled and inwardly slapped herself for using such a word in the presence of royalty.

"Fine!" The Prince caved, surprising the both of them.

Toph didn't have much time to be shocked by Fai's outburst though. She felt a strong pulse move through her palm and up her arm. A smile crept onto her face before she plucked the rock from his hand and chucked it aside. "I knew it."

"Knew what? I told you already that I can't – Lady Toph! Your robes!" Prince Fai exclaimed as he watched the beautiful young girl fall into a grassy patch and roll onto her stomach as if she were free falling into the ground.

"Calm down, Fancy Pants. Join me."

"But I-"

"Trust me."

He bit the inside of his cheek. There wasn't anyone within sight, and Toph did say to trust her. Cautiously, he assumed the same free falling position while facing her, conscious of the grass grazing his robes. He looked at the girl's face, who appeared to be sleeping soundly like some beautiful spirit. Then he realized how close their fingertips were, almost touching and yet, he felt himself relaxing.

"Close your eyes, and just listen," Toph spoke in a low, soft voice.

Fai let his soft, brown eyes flutter shut. At first, all he could hear was the grass rustling in his ear, but he was patient. Slowly the sound of the grass prickling in his ear faded out and he was met with an entirely new sensation that was indescribable. It was as if his hearing, sight, and sense of touch all combined into one super sense. He was suddenly aware of small creatures burrowing beneath him, and then the continental plates scraping against one another, and finally the magma flowing and boiling in the earth's core.

"Woah," he sighed, still listening to the ground. He was thankful that the girl laying next time him was blind, otherwise she would have seen the few tears that escaped through the corners of his eyes.

Toph simply smiled. She loved being right, but she loved witnessing someone fall in love with the earth even more. Her concentration on the moment broke though when she felt Fai's hand lightly grasp her own. It seemed as if he were moving subconsciously.

"Thank you," his voice trembled.

She hummed in acknowledgment and the pair laid there for the rest of the afternoon until Toph sensed people nearing them. She grabbed his hand an whispered for him to run. They darted between the trees and columns until Toph felt that they were safe. She broke into chuckles, which Fai caught on to, and the two laughed together like old friends.

"So you can teach me how to read and write, and I'll teach you earthbending," she stated rather than negotiated. It began an interesting friendship between the beautiful earthbender and the proper prince.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I like Fai, but I don't like the way I've written Fai.


	5. Before: Chapter 4

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 4

* * *

><p>Being with Fai and teaching him earthbending brought out Toph's bossy side that she had suppressed for the previous 3 years. It also helped her establish her authority as Secretary General when doubtful politicians in other chairs were condescending towards her. Fai was also developing a toughness that was kept beneath the surface and was becoming a more difficult target for the politicians to sway. That wasn't his only change though. People began to notice that he was becoming more relaxed in his manners and while this was a relief to those close to him, the aristocrats thought such a quality was unbecoming of a prince.<p>

"It's that little brat who thinks she stands above us because she's in the favor of the King and the Prince. Poor Prince Fai has been hexed by her girly wiles and now he can't see the dreaded direction he's headed in."

"I'd teach her a lesson, if she wouldn't stoop so low as to use her bending on me."

"It's despicable that we have to listen to a little girl that can't even read or write! I bet her family's money had something to do with all of this."

"I heard she's in cohorts with the Avatar and the Fire Lord too. She's even got some connections with the leaders of both Water Tribes."

"Well I can't stand for it! Someone so young shouldn't hold so much power, it's simply irresponsible. She's obviously too childish and a bad influence. If she marries the Prince and eventually becomes Queen one day, who knows what will happen to the Earth Kingdom? We need to think of a way to get rid of her without offending His Majesty."

At the beginning of the spring, a large assembly was held with all the high-ranking Earth Kingdom officials. Several Fire Nation diplomats were visiting to give their reports during the assembly as well. Prince Fai, who just celebrated his eighteenth birthday, was chosen by the King to head to the meeting.

"I am Commander Gara, the Chief Military Correspondent for the Fire Nation. I am here to report that we have just finished building two new warships, The Pride and The Prosperity. We have engineers working on another design for this year as well. Our war balloon production is steady at about 1 balloon per month, but it's expected to increase since our military recruitment rate has gone up by five percent. The current number of soldiers in the Fire Nation Military rounds up to 355,000 active-duty and 113,000 in reserve," it seemed as if the diplomat had more to say, but he was suddenly overpowered by one of the Earth Kingdom politicians standing up.

"I'm sorry, but doesn't this data alarm you at all, Honorable Bei Fong?" Posed a middle-aged man with shrew-like features.

"What are you implying, Jia Po?" Toph questioned with a frown.

The older man looked offended for a moment. "I'm simply curious about these numbers and rates; they seem suspiciously high."

Commander Gara was about to retort, but the other diplomats held him back.

"This doesn't concern you, Jia Po. The Fire Nation has every right to expand on their military, just as we are. Not to mention I know Fire Lord Zuko would not plan an attack and would only fight if the Fire Nation were to be seriously provoked or threatened. If anything, I think we all should be happy that the Fire Nation is prospering and comforted in knowing that our ally is developing a strong military that is willing to help us if we are ever in need," the blind Secretary General retorted eloquently.

"Doesn't concern me? This is a possible threat to the Earth Kingdom! This doesn't concern you, an ignorant little girl who knows nothing of the system and sides with the Fire Nation! You're a disgrace to this government! If you love the Fire Nation so much, just leave us and go work for that sad excuse of a Fire Lord!"

At this, all of the diplomats looked ready to fight. Prince Fai noticed and stood up. "Jia Po, sit down immediately!"

Toph was too enraged to acknowledge Fai trying to handle the situation. "Of course it doesn't concern you, Head of the Agricultural Department! Go stick your head in the dirt and pig-cow manure! And you can sit there on your high ostrich-horse and insult me all you want, but don't you dare speak out against my friend! He is excellent in his position! You're the one disgracing the Earth Kingdom by making us look like hateful bigots in front of these honorable diplomats!"

"Well if you're such a fan of that damn Fire Lord, why don't you do us all a favor and marry him?" The shew-like man spat childishly.

"Jia Po, that's enough! You are hereby permanently relieved of your position of Head of the Agricultural Department," the Prince announced with a stern look replacing the usual softer features of his face.

"You're removing me just to defend that little brat? You don't have to remove me, I quit! I can no longer work under you, Your Highness, knowing that you're being controlled by that despicable girl." At this, the members of the meeting all gasped at the completely unsubtle jab at the Prince.

"For that, I could have you banished," Fai threatened. The whole room was silent and the tension was high. No one had ever seen the crown prince with such an assertive and unwavering aura. Jia Po suddenly went from red with anger to white with fear.

"Your highness, please do not banish him," Toph spoke up, grabbing the attention of the entire room. "We wouldn't want to punish the other nations with the possibility of him wandering into their land. Sorry for the long interruption Commander Gara, please continue with your report."

The meeting ended without another hitch, mostly because the people in attendance were afraid of further upsetting the Prince or the Secretary General. Still, this did not stop the people from their usual gossip afterward.

"My, my, that incident with Jia Po was quite disrupting."

"Indeed, it was. I can't help but to feel that he deserved it though. He did directly insult the Prince."

"Yes, it was wrong to insult Prince Fai in such a manner."

"You all sound ridiculous. None of it would have happened if it weren't for the brat. The way she acts like she controls everything pisses me off."

"I agree, and Jia Po did come up with one very interesting point in there."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Evil politicians are berry sneaky.


	6. Before: Chapter 5

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Prince Fai had asked Toph to stay behind so he could talk to her. She was sure it was to scold her for not letting him do his job, and she dreaded the lecture she was about to endure. However, no such thing happened. Instead, he placed a clay tablet in front of her and a small jar.<p>

"I found someone who makes mineral-based ink. I'm not entirely sure that it'll be of any use to us, but I figured there's no hurt in trying," he said, a bit flustered for some reason or another. Toph ignored it, she was used to him being a little nervous around her all the time.

She released the breath she was holding and let her mind settle down. "So I finally get to learn to read and write?"

"Possibly. I thought we could give it a chance, if you're not busy."

"Not at all, my Prince," she replied with a playful smile. She sensed his heartbeat quicken even more and had to stop herself from giggling. Lately, she had be finding entertainment in sending the hearts of young men aflutter, particularly the Prince.

"I- um, Lady Toph, uh," he fumbled. "Here," he finally managed to get out as he pushed an ink brush into her hand.

She felt it quizzically in her hand and poked the fine bristles with her finger. "So how does this thing work?"

"Well," Fai started, he couldn't help but thinking that the deadly earthbender was quite cute, "you hold it like this for starts."

Toph felt something itchy in her cheeks as Fai's right hand covered her own to hold the brush in the proper position. His chest was pressed against her back and his left hand rested near hers on the table. Some escaped strands of hair from his brown ponytail tickled the side of her forehead, and she could feel the warmth of his breath near her eye. "Then you dip it lightly in the ink here, and dab off the excess," he spoke as he guided her through the motions. He wondered if she could feel his hands starting to perspire a bit.

"My calligraphy skills aren't the greatest," he mentioned modestly while his hand helped her's through some choppy strokes, "but it can be read. Now with one last small stroke here, we've written your name."

Fai let go of her hand and placed the brush back in the ink jar. Toph moved her left hand to let her fingertips skim lightly on the surface of the clay tablet. Her facial expression didn't move a millimeter, causing for the Prince to nervously ask, "Can you see anything?"

The young Secretary General was silent. She pressed her fingers more firmly on the tablet. "This – This is my name?"

"It is."

The young Prince worried whether or not she could see it or not. He watched as her eyelids kept her non-seeing eyes wide open. Her left had moved away from his and slowly she pressed her hand to her lips. He was shocked to see what happened next. Those minty green eyes suddenly clouded up with moisture. Fai internally panicked.

"This is my name," she stated, her voice squeaking a bit. "This is my name."

"It is, Toph."

Without any warning, she sprang up from her seat, turned around, and tackled the unsuspecting man to the ground by throwing her arms around his neck. The Prince was too shocked to move. He thought of returning the gesture, but he was too anxious. He was too aware of her and the way her chest felt against his and her nose buried in his neck. Her knees were positioned on either side of his hips as she was practically sitting in his lap. His heart was pounding as he contemplated doing something crazy.

"Toph," he said her name.

The said girl lifted her head as she realized that this was the second time he had called her by her name alone. She suddenly was aware of the position she was in and found herself embarrassed. She wondered what she looked like when she cried, and if she looked as ridiculous as she felt.

"My name," she babbled as she ducked her chin down, "it looks very beautiful."

"Just like you," the Prince thought aloud. He quickly came to see that it he had actually said it, and it was quite trite at that. However, it was said and by the look on her face, she had acknowledged it as well. There was no going back.

Fai ignored the relentless pounding of his heart and reached out a hand to let his fingertips graze the side of her face. She didn't even flinch or twitch, which he took as a good sign. "Toph Bei Fong, you are very beautiful," he stated in a low voice, just above a whisper. Her expression remained still, except for her eyes, which shut as she let out a brief sigh. Even though he knew it didn't affect her vision, he relaxed a bit when he couldn't see her minty green eyes on him. He felt more comfortable in studying her face this way. Her skin was pale, like a true lady's, but by no means thin. Her brows made the perfect arch, and her eyelashes looked soft. Her nose was small and her mouth, well her mouth, it looked –

"I'm sorry," he breathed, and pressed his lips to hers. Delicious. Warm. Tender – No. He was getting way too ahead of himself. This girl could easily kill him.

"I'm sorry," he muttered again, barely removing his mouth from hers.

Toph couldn't believe that she had just been kissed for the first time. She had been around Aang and Katara kissing, as well as Sokka and Suki sneaking around during their travels, but she tried not to mind it. Still, nothing could stop her curiosity. She had wondered what the big deal was, all she knew was that it was something that was exciting for two people who love each other. However, this knowledge didn't seem to match with her current situation with Fai. She felt relaxed, and wondered if something was wrong. Her heartbeat felt strong in her chest, but it wasn't going crazy. Still, kissing Fai felt nice, and she was sure that she at least liked him.

She leaned forward and caught his upper lip between hers. This kiss lasted longer and somehow felt deeper. A warm feeling welled inside of her stomach and spread through her body. She wanted more, but she didn't know what she wanted more of. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious and she pulled back, blushing furiously.

"Fai-"

"Toph-"

They said in unison, making them both smile despite feeling embarrassed.

"You go-"

"No you-"

"I just-"

They started laughing, realizing how ridiculous they sounded.

"Okay, I'm shutting up. You go," Toph finally managed to say, feeling less tense.

Fai stared at her, having lost the words he wanted to say before. She was just so beautiful and perfect. Her manners were spot-on in public, but she was never boring when they were alone. He knew she didn't need anyone, and yet he felt the desire to protect her and provide for her. She introduced him to so much that it felt like his life didn't really begin until he met her.

"Marry me," he blurted out.

She blinked once. She blinked again. The corners of her lips pulled down and so did her eyebrows. Did he really just say that? "What?" Was all that she could muster.

"I mean, please marry me. No- wait- ugh! Just," he sighed, "will you marry me?"

Toph rattled her brain trying to process his out-of-the-blue proposal. "I- seriously? Where is this coming from? We hardly know each other and- That kiss- It was nice, but I don't even- Oh Spirits," she rambled. The words were coming out from her mouth completely unfiltered from her brain. Fai found it amusing and unnerving at the same time.

"Just, why?" She finally managed to form.

The Prince thought of an eloquent answer in his head, but he thought it might scare her more than she already was. "His Majesty has been pressuring me to ask you ever since my birthday," he offered lamely.

"How romantic," she scoffed, but still laughed. His answer disappointed her a bit, but it mostly relieved her.

"It's a serious proposal though. I can't imagine anyone else being the Earth Queen in the future. You are what is best for this kingdom," he said and then realized that he sounded too insensitive, "and you're what's best for me too. Please, at least consider marrying me."

Toph crawled away from him and sat back on the floor cross-legged. "Fai, do you even know what I've been doing with my years before I met you?" She sighed.

"How could I know? You've never talked to me about the past," he answered and imitated her position.

"Haven't you wondered why I, a young girl, was able to win the Earth Rumble Championship?"

"Your parents could afford the best masters?"

"That was actually my third championship. The other two were won when back when I was 9 and 10 and Earth Rumble was still an underground illegal event. I learned from the true masters of earthbending, the badger-moles that live deep in the ground. My parents did hire an earthbending trainer, but he was useless. They thought I was too delicate because of my blindness, hence why I was never introduced into society until almost 2 years ago."

"Did they know you competed in the illegal Earth Rumble?"

And so Toph went on to explain how she became acquainted with the Avatar and Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. She told him how she became Aang's earthbending teacher and how her parents hired some goons to chase her around the world to get her back, which she was sort of grateful for because it help her discover metalbending. She told her adventures in the Fire Nation, and how Zuko was bad, but then he was good, explaining her public display of familiarity with him at Earth Rumble. Then finally she got to how she did her part in saving the world from Phoenix King Ozai and how everything was supposed to be happily ever after until her parents trapped her again.

Fai was stunned to say the least. "Maybe I should pay more heed to palace gossip," he manged to say after he got over his initial shock.

"You mean you didn't believe all the tales of my badass-ery?" She laughed, but still felt a bit piqued.

The Prince chuckled at the girl's language. "Well it seems improbable for someone to accomplish so much at such a young age," he reasoned, trying his best not to offend her.

"Aang is the same age as me, you know," she pouted in return.

Fai stared at the pretty girl before him. Everything she said seemed so unreal, and yet it all made sense. "Spirits!" He exclaimed, trying to wrap his head around it all. "The Avatar's earthbending teacher! A savior to the world! This is too much. No wonder you won't accept my proposal."

"Because it's absurd!"

"It's not! Especially now that I know who you really are and all that you've done! You're too good for me and I can't let you get away!"

Toph felt her cheeks burn up in frustration and embarrassment. Growing up, she had been treated like she wasn't good enough, and now she was too good. It made her want to laugh and wish that her parents were there to hear the praise she was receiving. "Listen Fai, that entire journey was one big life-changing field trip. The people, the friends I was with, the bonds I feel with them are unlike any other. It's those bonds that I'm going to compare every other relationship I have with. Sometimes I wonder if anything can or ever will measure up to that."

He understood what she was saying, but he wasn't going to give up easily. "So let our engagement be our field trip. I can't guarantee that I'll measure up to your friends, in fact, I know I won't measure up to those bonds. But you kissed me back just a few minutes ago, and that has to mean something. There is plenty of time to get to know one another after marriage. There will be trials for us, but I promise you that it will be an adventure, and it will be our adventure. Lady Toph Bei Fong, I'll ask you again: Will you marry me?"

The blind girl smirked, because she really didn't know what else to do. "You really are stubborn," she sighed, trying to avoid the proposal. He didn't respond, but she could feel him focusing all of his energy on her.

"Fine, give me some time to think about it."

"One month."

"One month?" She cried. "You're not going to hear a favorable answer after only a month."

"I'll take that as a challenge."

"I like this side of you," she noted with a smile.

"See? Things are already starting to bend in my favor."

"Don't get too cocky now."

"Cocky? I'm just trying to find hope in the situation, Princess." He didn't sound malicious or cunning at all. In fact, the words were almost sweet coming from his mouth. A regular person wouldn't have been able to tell that he was teasing her at all.

Toph felt like she had been smacked in the face with a torch. "Who are you? And don't start calling me that! That's what I used to call Fire Lord Zuko."

"You created me," he answered, though he didn't know how long this confidence would last. "And you should get used to being called Princess, it suits you."

"I really wish I could hate you right now."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I am so sorry. I never intended to like Fai as much as I do now. Ugh, do trust me when I say that Zuzu will make an appearance soon. This is an eventual Toko fic, I promise. And as far as Fai's appearance goes, I left it ambiguous so you could use your imagination. However, I like to imagine him as a young (slave) Van Hohenheim from Fullmetal Alchemist with brown features instead of gold.


	7. Before: Chapter 6

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 6

* * *

><p>"There's something different about Prince Fai lately."<p>

"You're right. He was very princely as he was before, but he seemed a bit feeble. I must say, his personality has gotten much stronger. I hate to admit it, but I think that earthbending ruffian has improved him."

"I still don't like her."

"Me neither."

Toph had to hold in a frustrated growl as she overheard some nobles gossiping. She heard just about everything she didn't want to hear. It was irritating to know that they still hated her, despite the good she was doing. However, it was even more irksome to be reminded of the Prince and his new attitude. While it was a little more subtle to the officials and the people of the palace, it was so obvious to Toph that she couldn't think of anything else. He had even gotten harder for her to read, driving her crazy to no end. And the worst of it was, he hadn't even talked to her since his proposal 6 days ago!

Right when she was beginning to feel completely insane, she decided to take a small vacation. There was only one person who could ever get her to calm down and collect her nerves, and now more than ever she needed to see him.

"After climbing up the mountain for some time, one must turn around and see the truth in the snow of the other mountains."

"Uncle, that is one of your worst metaphors yet, mostly because I'd never be able to see anything in any snow," Toph scoffed as she sat in an unladylike manner in comfortable civilian clothes.

"You are falling in love, my dear," Iroh explained, causing his conversational partner to fall out of her chair.

"That's impossible! I'm only feeling confused because of his tricks," she argued defensively as she crawled back into her chair.

"Ah, but I think you know that this new, more confident Prince Fai has always been a part of him. You were the one to awaken this in him. I think also since you shared your past with him, he finally feels more comfortable around you. This isn't just an act of his, it is him," the older man said and sipped his tea peacefully.

Toph growled. "I just can't love him! If I do, that means I will end up married to him and that's exactly what my parents want!"

"This bitterness towards your parents needs to end. You cannot let your pride intervene in matters of the heart, that is how people end up alone. While I admit that while your parents are not necessarily good people, they are not bad people either. You cannot fool me, my dear. I know you love your parents regardless of how they treated you, and it's normal to want to make your parents proud and happy with what you do with your life. I recommend you do not try to fight this."

"B-But-" She sputtered, trying to keep a shred of her dignity.

"There is no loss in this situation. If you choose to marry Prince Fai, you will become matriarch of the entire Earth Kingdom. My dear, no one but you can hold that position. Everyone has known that you were born to do great and glorious things," the old man advised.

"I've already done plenty of great and glorious things!"

"Oh, does that mean you're going to stop there?" He countered.

Toph bit her bottom lip. It was impossible to ignore Iroh's wise words. "I don't see why I have to become a queen to do so though," she continued to argue.

"I'm not saying that you should marry him right away, but you should still accept the proposal. I truly believe that the Prince makes you happy."

"What makes you say that?"

"You've been fighting a smile ever since you've gotten here."

The blind girl felt her face heat up. She had been caught, but she still attempted to deny it. "Th-That's not true."

Iroh laughed at the girl's bullheadedness. "Denial will only make your feelings even stronger once you accept them," he said while pouring himself another cup of tea. "Now, I am expecting a short visit from my nephew this evening. Do you care to stay longer to see him? I hope he brings favorable news."

Toph helped out around the Jasmine Dragon for the afternoon. It was good to be around friendly faces versus the judgmental ones of the palace. Regular customers were also happy to see her around, especially the young men that she had drawn in almost 2 years prior. Someone had recognized her from Earth Rumble, which caused for a huge stir. The Jasmine Dragon was famous enough as it was just for excellent quality of tea, but the crowd the former Blind Bandit lured in was Iroh's best unintentional advertising strategy yet.

After managing to force customers out of the shop around dinner time, Toph sat down with a smile on her face. The day had been a perfect distraction for everything that had been weighing down on her mind. Just when she thought she was going to relax though, she felt something wrong at the back of the shop.

"Uncle, there's an intruder!" She yelled and got up to head towards whoever dared to trespass on the grounds that were like home to her. Iroh stopped what he was doing, but didn't seem too alarmed. After a few seconds however, she realized that it wasn't an intruder at all. She ran a little more quickly and opened the door that lead into the small living quarters.

"Sparky!" She exclaimed and attacked the unsuspecting man in a tackle-like hug.

The poor Fire Lord let out a completely undignified "Oompf!" as he stumbled backwards from the small girl's attack. "Agni! Toph?" He managed to wheeze from underneath her rib-crushing embrace. "What are you doing here?"

The blind girl showed him some mercy and let him go. "This happens to be my city of residence. I should be asking why the Fire Lord is sneaking into a tea shop," she joked with an unrestrained grin on her face.

"I happen to be meeting the Earth King in a few days. I am escaping my own guards for the night," he replied as he straightened out his ninja-like outfit.

"Really? Fai never mentioned it," she thought aloud.

"As in Prince Fai? You sound like you're awfully chummy with him," he commented teasingly. His brow quirked when he noticed her cheeks turn a pinkish color.

"Of course she's friendly with him, she's his fiance after all," Iroh said, making his presence known.

"Uncle!" Both Toph and Zuko shouted, though she out of embarrassment and he out of excitement.

The young man trotted over to his beloved uncle and greeted him with a heartfelt hug. Toph forgot her embarrassment and observed the endearing moment, listening to their words of happiness to see one another. She felt a bit envious that she didn't have any blood-related family that she shared such a strong bond with and wondered if there would ever be a day where she could share such a moment even remotely similar with her parents.

"So you were joking about Toph being engaged, right?" Zuko asked in all seriousness as he broke away from his uncle and started moving towards the front of the shop where they could sit down.

"Of course he is!" The said girl barked, remembering her embarrassment and followed after him.

Iroh gave a hearty laugh before he corrected himself, "I meant to say, 'her soon to be fiance.'"

Toph groaned and blushed as she pulled out a chair for herself and plopped down in it. "I haven't answered him," she pouted.

"Yet, my dear," the older man called from the kitchen as he grabbed a kettle from the stove, "and I think we can agree that you will see the great advantage and potential of an engagement to the Crown Prince of the Earth Kingdom and give him your answer based on that."

"You're actually encouraging this sort of thing?" Zuko inquired, aghast that his Uncle would support such an engagement.

Iroh came out from the kitchen and poured 3 cups of tea. "Of course, she loves him after all. Otherwise, I would completely against it."

"I don't love him!" The young lady yelled in defense, her cheeks burning as if she swallowed a candle. "I just find him irritating, but I don't hate him for it."

The young Fire Lord was skeptical, thinking that it was some kind of prank that the blind terror had roped his uncle into. She may have looked like a lady, but he knew what a true menace she could be. He stared long and hard at her, looking for any sort of hint that this was a joke. The pink color in her face wasn't dissolving, and her shoulders kept squirming. It appeared that she was also biting the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. Seeing Toph like this was nothing short of amusing to the young man, it reminded him of Aang whenever something Katara related came up in conversation.

"Well who would have thought that you would be the first one in our group to become engaged," he said with a chuckle.

She wanted to feel somewhat offended, but something else concerned her. "You mean Sokka an Suki aren't?"

Zuko shook his head. "Nope."

"Aang and Katara?"

He shook his head again. "Nope."

"You and Mai?"

Toph felt Zuko's pulse change. He was feeling guilty about something and unquestionably tense. Her lips broke out into her signature wide grin. "I get it. You came here to talk to Uncle about proposing!"

Zuko's heart skipped a beat and she noticed that Iroh tensed up as well. She was missing something.

"What is the matter, nephew?"

The petite earthbender felt her throat clench up and her smile fell at hearing Iroh's tone. Yeah, she had definitely missed something.

The Fire Lord let out a sigh, though it didn't help to relax him much. "I drove her away."

Everyone at the table was silent. Toph wanted to know more, but she didn't want to be the one to ask him to elaborate. In fact, she didn't even feel like she belonged there.

"It's getting late, I should leave," she announced as she stood up abruptly. She assumed that it was an issue Zuko would rather discuss with his uncle alone. However, it surprised her when she heard Zuko's chair squeak against the marble floor.

"No, stay," the scarred man insisted. He sighed again before speaking, "Everyone else already knows. It's okay."

Toph chewed the inside of her lip as she analyzed her friend. He seemed stressed beyond belief and even though she didn't want to feel bad for him out of respect, she still took pity on him. She, too, sighed an sat back down.

"By 'drove her away,' do you mean that she left you?" Iroh finally asked.

"It's complicated. Things were really good for a while. However, the more immersed I became in my role as Fire Lord, the less our relationship became about us and became more about me. There's always so much on my mind that I wasn't paying attention to her even though I was with her constantly, and she was so concerned about me all the time that she also ignored herself. It wasn't until Aang and Katara visited recently that they brought it to my attention," he paused. Toph could practically see the lump in his throat. "I tried so hard after that. I thought I could make everything alright again, but her smile just wasn't the same anymore. Agni, I wanted to marry her, and I know she would have gone along with it. I stopped myself from asking though. She was so unhappy with me, and she didn't even know it. So I made her leave me."

"Nephew-"

Toph cut Iroh off, "That's so stupid! I can't believe you would be such a selfish coward! Did you even give her a chance to realize what was happening between you two? Mai loves you, and she's probably hurt and confused right now. She's probably wondering what on earth she did wrong. You were so afraid of her leaving you all alone and hurt that you went and hurt her so she could suffer along with you!"

"You don't think I know that? I feel horrible! I miss her so much. I just don't know what to do. I feel so messed up."

The blind girl stood up and walked towards the exit of the shop. She could hear the tears in his voice. "Don't go telling that story and expect sympathy from anyone. Just own up to the fact that you did it for your own welfare. Stop acting like some benevolent spirit who did it for Mai's sake."

She heard Zuko's chair fall backwards from how quickly and forcefully he stood up. His footing was shaky and his heartbeat was erratic. "I can't fix four whole nations, keep my sanity, and try to make my girlfriend happy again! I just can't do it all! I feel like I'm losing all of it."

Toph smiled, knowing that the two firebenders couldn't see it. It was the first time Zuko felt entirely honest since he arrived. However, she knew she didn't have the right words for him; It was a task that only Iroh could handle.

"It was good talking with both of you tonight, gentlemen. I will be taking my leave now," she bid farewell and pushed through the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Ahh, it's so relieving to finally write in some Zuko time.


	8. Before: Chapter 7

And So They Ate Cake

Before: Chapter 7

* * *

><p>The next day was not fun for the Secretary General. Fai occupied about 75 percent of her thoughts, another 20 percent floated around Zuko and Mai's shattered relationship, and the last 5 percent was focused on the very unproductive meeting of the military's Generals she was supervising. They were all bickering about new uniforms or something of that sort, and quite frankly, Toph gave zero pieces of chicken-lizard shit.<p>

"Fine, we'll ask the Secretary General," she heard one of the men, General Myun, speak out. "Honorable Bei Fong, should the new officer's uniforms have a yellow trim or a white trim on the sleeves?"

The petite young lady had been waiting for a chance to kick someone's ass, and these men were pretty much inviting her to do so. "First off, I'm blind as you all have made so painfully obvious every time you whisper about how I'm unfit for my position. I don't care about what color anything is. Second, I never approved of any new uniforms. It's a waste of money that the kingdom could be putting towards more useful advances. Lastly, this is the Earth Kingdom. Our soldiers are earthbenders. When they bend the earth, they will get dirty. New uniforms and their colors are pointless," she answered condescendingly. She held her tongue from adding, 'you all are idiots,' at the end.

The Generals were silent. They looked at one another with blank and questioning looks until they all started yelling again.

"You don't care about the military!

"How unpatriotic of you!"

"We need these new uniforms!"

Toph clenched her jaw so tightly that if she cared enough, she would have worried about shattering her teeth. Her palms slammed against the ornate desk she was sitting at, causing the entire room to quake. The Generals ceased their complaints and tried their best to not seem intimidated by the small girl who appeared to be more like a porcelain doll rather than a human weapon of mass destruction.

With swift hand motions and a stomp of her tiny feet, the marble floors curled up on one side of the room forming an earthen tidal wave that swept up the room, destroyed the opposite wall, and deposited everyone into one of the smaller grassy courtyards within the palace. Toph landed gracefully like a professional surfer as she stepped off her earth swell that flatted back into the ground as if it had never even been there.

"Alright, I will give you all two full minutes to attack me head on. I won't fight back. I will only defend myself. Feel free to come at me individually or all together," she announced while rolling up the sleeves of her robes.

The men, most of them still trying to recover from her less than gentle mode of transportation, eyed her warily.

"I am not going to attack a blind little girl," General Sun-Di sneered.

Toph could have sworn she felt a vein pop in her forehead. "So much for my being merciful. Ready yourselves, sirs."

Without any delay, she began hurling rocks at the men. Most of them dodged the sudden attack, except for General Wong, who took a boulder to the gut. With battle mode activated, the older men countered the attack with great earthen walls accelerating towards their single opponent, who smashed though them as if they were constructed of rice paper. Toph grinned at their deciding to attack back, and struck the ground with her hands, causing uneven columns to spring up and the Generals to lose their footing. As quickly as they sprang up, Toph pulled them back into the earth. She stopped herself from laughing at feeling them land ungracefully on their butts and faces.

"You're making this too easy for me," she said nonchalantly as she brushed the dirt from her palms.

Realizing she was correct, the men jumped back onto their feet. General Xihua lunged toward her with stones in hand, knowing that close combat was her weakness. While her focus was on Xihua, Sun-Di and Ginya flanked her from both sides and prepared to flatten her like a spider-worm between two walls. However, she surprised them all by charging into Xihua's attack. She knocked him back with a lucky headbutt in the solar plexus before he could even throw the rocks in his hands. She heard the two walls slam together behind her. Using quick thinking despite her aching head, she jammed her heel into the ground and flicked both of her wrists. To Sun-Di and Ginya's horror, the walls they created uprooted slightly and fell away from each other, nearly making pancakes of the two men as the walls came crashing down.

The blind earthbender didn't have to celebrate though. Her attentions were turned to General Shinwei's battle roar and the even ground suddenly changing to form spikes meant to attack her feet. While the earth's new form didn't bother her calloused soles, the spikes made it about ten times more difficult to see. Knowing that the spiky soil wasn't going to work for her at all, she clapped her hands together and thrust the heels of her palms into the sky. The tops of the spikes sawed off and levitated for a moment before Toph threw her hands back down and the spikes were turned into projectiles headed towards where she best guessed that Shinwei was.

After hearing various curses, she heard General Myun cry, "Everyone, attack at once!"

_'Crap, I should end this,' _she thought as she detected 12 blurry figures closing in on her. Using wave-like motions with her hands, she prayed that the technique she was thinking of would work. She swept her left foot against the jagged terrain and tried not to cringe when she stubbed her pinky toe on a protrusion. With more determination than she usually puts into sparring matches, she slapped one palm to the ground and held the position until her vision grew fuzzy.

"What is this?"

"I can't move!"

"We're sinking!"

Toph smiled from her little self-made island in the middle of the quick sand pit she created from all the rocks below and above the surface. She was worried it wouldn't work since it had been ages since she practiced her sandbending, but talent was in her favor this time. The sadist within her grinned like a fox-cat at the cries for help from the Generals.

"Are you trying to kill us?"

She mulled over the answer in her head. As much as they annoyed her, killing them would look bad on her record. With a drag of her heel in the solid earth, the sand hardened into stone leaving the men's bodies trapped underground with their heads popping up. A passerby would laugh at the cabbage patch of Generals' heads.

"Not bad, gentlemen," she began, "for a bunch of dandelions! Seriously, there are weeds that are better earthbenders than you bunch! Do you even see a scratch on me? How the hell did you all make to the top of the military? Spirits, are you really the men that the enlisted soldiers have to obey? They could probably overthrow you in one move! Why, as Secretary General, I ought to-"

"Good afternoon, Lady Toph, Generals."

The pale eyed girl felt her heart drop into her stomach when she heard Fai's voice behind her. She didn't even notice him come around during her rant. She could only imagine the damage she had caused to the palace and the courtyard.

"Prince Fai," she greeted with a bow. The buried men nodded their heads down.

"Lady Toph, walk with me," the Prince requested, and then turned around to walk towards the gardens. "And Generals, if you would be so kind as to fix up this area, thank you."

A wave of dread hit the petite earthbender as she followed his footsteps. Fai was eerily calm, which made her more nervous than she liked to admit. His was so difficult to read that it was almost Azula-like. She wondered how on earth he managed to be an open book one day, and then private journal the next.

They rounded a corner in silence when he asked, "Where's the nearest person?"

"About 100 meters away," she answered, wondering how bad her scolding was going to be if he didn't want other people to hear it. She braced herself for a condescending lecture about beating up underlings, but no words ever came. Instead, she heard the Prince's unrestrained laughter. She felt him crumple into the fetal position as he continued to laugh until he rubbed moisture from the corners of his eyes. All she could do was stand there in confusion.

"They looked," he wheezed, "so ridiculous!"

Toph relaxed at his choked out words, knowing that she wasn't going to be reprimanded. However, his laughing annoyed her a bit. If he wasn't going to yell at her, then she figured she'd give him a piece of her mind instead.

"You haven't spoken to me in a week, and all you're going to do is laugh at what I did to those idiot Generals? Did you forget that you proposed to me?" She heard his laughter cease as she started another rant. "I've been wracking my brain to the point of near insanity, and you go into hiding! I don't get you!"

She felt him stand up, his height towering hers. He took a step toward her and she unconsciously took one step back. It was so strange how their positions reversed. Not too long ago, she was teasing him and making him nervous, yet now she felt her own heart beating erratically while Fai's entire body just seemed like one gigantic smirk.

"Oh, did you miss me?" She heard him ask as she felt her back hit a wall.

"Not a chance," she answered a little too quickly. "I mean, yes," she corrected, but then she remembered her pride, "Wait, I meant no. Y-You're delusional if you think I'd ever miss someone as infuriating as you."

Fai gave an appreciative laugh. "I believe you are the first and only person to ever describe me as infuriating. Everyone else says I'm quite pleasant."

"Pleasant my ass," she muttered, even though she knew his words to be true.

"What about your ass?"

"Fai!" She scolded. Vulgar language did not suit the Prince whatsoever, not matter how cheeky he had become.

"Just thought I'd give it a try," he said nonchalantly with a small, defensive laugh at the end.

Toph bit the inside of her cheek, suddenly feeling awkward. She had thought about him almost nonstop for the past seven days and yet, now that he was in front of her, she didn't know what more to say. She felt him take one more step forward, and with nowhere for her to go, the space between them closed. She felt him place a hand on the wall above her right ear.

"You know," he started, "you don't have to wait another three weeks to answer me. If you know what you want to say now, then I'm all ears."

"And if I don't have my answer yet?"

"Well then I just..."

His words faded from his lips as they pressed against hers. She placed her palms on his chest lightly, her conscience desperately wanting to push him away, but her body had been eager to kiss him again in his absence. Her hands slid their way up to grab the base of his neck and pull him even closer to her. His hands settled themselves on her small waist as he pulled back ever so slightly to catch her bottom lip between his own.

She parted her lips a bit, allowing him to tug on the lower one tenderly . Her chest pressed more into his and she snaked her arms around his neck, wanting to feel even more. She heard him inhale deeply as his hands moved up to her ribcage. An unfamiliar chill ran down her spine when she barely felt his teeth graze her lip and she tightened her hold on him. Keen to her body language, Fai nipped gently at her lower lip once. The sensation caused her emit a barely audible sighing moan.

The prince opened his eyes and pulled his mouth away from hers. Toph felt his heartbeat suddenly spike up nervously before he let go of her body and took one small step back.

"So, um, j-just think about it," he stuttered.

She wondered why he was reverting back to his old, vulnerable self. However, she didn't have much time to dwell on it. He was suddenly gone. Well, not entirely, she could feel him about 25 meters away from her, but she chose not to follow him.

"Fai!" She yelled out for anyone to hear. "You jerk! Weirdo! I just- AGH!"

She wiped her lips with her sleeve and stomped back to the courtyard, where she knew the Generals were still trapped in stone. With a series of arm movements and the sliding of her left foot, the men were ejected from the ground in an ungraceful manner.

Once they collected themselves, the high-ranking military men lined up shoulder to shoulder at the position of attention. Toph quirked an eyebrow at this.

"What are you oafs doing standing around? You heard Prince Fai, fix this place up!" She barked, wary of their eerie orderliness.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" They answered in unison before they dispersed.

She inwardly smiled once she figured out that she had finally earned their respect. She crossed her arms and stood tall, observing the progress that was being made on the repairs. To her left, she felt General Shinwei approach her.

"Ma'am," he greeted.

"Yes?"

"I am sure that you are aware that you now have the complete respect and loyalty of the Generals, ma'am."

"Go on."

"We will always take your side and look out for our Secretary General."

"I am not fond of those who beat around the bush, General. You call yourself an earthbender, get to the point," she ordered, her patience running thin.

"Er, some of us couldn't help but noticing after your return from your walk with the Prince, well that your relationship with him is rather obvious."

"How do you mean?"

"Your lips are purple, ma'am."

"Oh," was all she could muster before asking, "What color are they usually?"

"Pink," he answered, but then added, "not that I, or any of us have been looking."

Toph refused to let her cheeks color. "So these colors, pink and purple, are they quite different?"

"Noticeably so," he replied frankly.

"Thank you, General Shinwei," she dismissed with excellent bearing, despite the urge to vomit.

"Anytime, ma'am."

Later that night...

"THAT BASTARD PRINCE!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I gave my readers comic relief, readers love comic relief. In all seriousness though, I would much rather write humor, but it's difficult to do so eloquently. Most of the time it comes off as cheesy and forced, so I'll avoid it a bit more for the time being, or until I get better at writing.


End file.
